Do you have a story behind your artist name?
Very much so. Hounds & Jackals isn’t just an artist name—it’s an entire creative initiative. The name comes from one of the oldest board games in human history, discovered in ancient Egypt, sometimes called The Game of Hounds and Jackals. That alone ties together mythology, play, fate, and strategy—core themes in everything I create. But there’s more. Dogs are central to the project symbolically and practically. Hounds & Jackals actively promotes mental health awareness, creativity as a healing force, and support for service dogs for people with PTSD and ASD. So the name bridges the ancient and the modern, the mythic and the therapeutic, the playful and the profound. At its heart, Hounds & Jackals is about storytelling across mediums—games, music, magic, and interactive media—all working together to explore mental health and creativity in ways that are entertaining, immersive, and a little offbeat.
Tells us a bit about your music journey. How has it shaped you?
Honestly? I never planned for music to take over my life. It started as an add-on—music created to support my tabletop games, interactive stories, and magical performances. Atmosphere. Mood. Worldbuilding. Then something strange happened: the music stopped being supplemental and started demanding attention. It felt less like a career choice and more like being connected to a muse! Once collaborators came in—vocalists, instrumentalists, experimental musicians—the project grew into something far bigger than me. Directing lyrics, performances, and sonic textures became a new language for storytelling. Music reshaped how I think about narrative, emotion, and immersion—and now I can’t imagine the work without it.
How would you describe your sound to someone unfamiliar with it?
That’s the dangerous question. 😄 Hounds & Jackals is a pack, not a solo act—multiple vocalists, musicians, and specialists, all filtered through a shared aesthetic. The sound pulls heavily from classic film, television, animation, and game music, then twists it through alternative jazz, rock, metal, ambient, and experimental textures. For ASSIGNMENT: DANGER!, the album is a deliberate homage to legendary spy composers—reimagined for modern ears. If you love vintage espionage scores, you’ll find moments where your brain says, “Wait… I know that tune.” If you’re new to those classics, the music works as a gateway to music worth remembering with a coat of oddball varnish. It’s niche. It’s nostalgic. It’s cinematic. And it’s unapologetically strange—in the best way.
What drew you to the genre /instruments you’re playing right now?
The source material itself: spy, horror, science fiction and fantasy films, TV shows, comics, pulp fiction, and thrillers. Each track starts as a response to a world, a scene, or a character. The genre dictates the instrumentation, not the other way around. If a track needs brass swagger, it gets it. If it needs smoky jazz, analog menace, or explosive orchestration—it follows the story.
What inspires you to write music?
Music communicates what language can’t. It bypasses logic and goes straight to emotion, memory, and imagination. For me, music is about immersion—activating as many senses as possible so people don’t just consume a project, they enter it. Whether it’s a game, a story, or a fictional world, music is the glue that makes it feel alive. Also—it’s just ridiculously fun.
Would you tell us about your current project, album/EP, or song you’re promoting?
For this interview, the focus is on ASSIGNMENT: DANGER! – Top Secret Soundtrack. The album accompanies the espionage thriller RPG ASSIGNMENT: DANGER!, with each track designed as both a listening experience and a storytelling engine. Over 2026, a series of books tied directly to these tracks will be released, expanding the world further. This isn’t a clean-cut spy universe. It’s morally murky. Characters face ethical compromises alongside high-octane action—exactly how the genre should feel. The album is available as Pay What You Want, with all proceeds going to charity (typically Doctors Without Borders or national service dog organizations).
What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your music?
Enjoyment first—but not only that. I want listeners to escape, to reflect, and to engage. Ideally, the music opens a door: to a world, a story, or even a moment of introspection they didn’t expect.
Who are your top three artists right now? If that’s not a fair question, what’s your favorite song right now?
This is wildly unfair—but I’ll own it. My favorite artists are, and always have been, soundtrack composers:
• Ennio Morricone
• Jerry Goldsmith
• John Barry
And that list could triple in seconds if you let me keep going.
What’s the easiest way for fans to connect with you?
The best hub is the Substack, where worlds, music, and projects intersect: 👉
https://houndsandjackals.substack.com
Everything else—music, socials, releases—is centralized here: 👉
https://linktr.ee/houndsandjackals
Connect with HOUNDS & JACKALS:
https://houndsandjackals.bandcamp.com/
https://houndsandjackals.bandcamp.com/album/assignment-danger-top-secret-soundtrack
https://linktr.ee/houndsandjackals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ItBG6gm_-k&list=PLq7wG6CUmqSX8RplEAdzxS2BcQYFH3Mcm
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on a Japanese jazz–influenced album, spiritually connected to Club Styx—a previous release centered on a spectral speakeasy. But that’s a story for the next interview. 😉
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
I think you’ve captured the essence already—but if there’s one takeaway, it’s this: Hounds & Jackals is about connection—between art forms, between people, and between creativity and mental health.
Bio:
Hounds & Jackals was created to raise mental health awareness using games, music, magic and interactive media; dealing with important topics in entertaining and offbeat ways for people to learn about creativity and its connections to health.
